


she's got you mesmerized

by NightshadeDawn



Series: butterflies of fate [3]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bisexual Sakamoto Ryuji, F/M, Gen, Past Rape/Non-con, Pretty Boy Ryuji
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:13:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29486580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightshadeDawn/pseuds/NightshadeDawn
Summary: In Shiho's attempt to find herself, somehow, Akira finds himself falling for her.
Relationships: Kurusu Akira & Sakamoto Ryuji, Kurusu Akira & Suzui Shiho, Kurusu Akira & Takamaki Ann, Kurusu Akira/Suzui Shiho, Sakamoto Ryuji & Suzui Shiho, Sakamoto Ryuji & Takamaki Ann, Suzui Shiho & Takamaki Ann
Series: butterflies of fate [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938373
Kudos: 23





	she's got you mesmerized

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant to explore what would have been Shiho, Ryuji, and Ann's new social links for this AU, but ended up getting pretty long, so I decided that I'll put Ann and Ryuji's in the next installment.

In the days following Kamishida’s arrest, things felt…  _ too _ normal. Tests were taken (and passed without Akira even trying, much to Ann’s chagrin). Shiho slowly distanced herself from the volleyball club until she’d quit completely. Ann and Ryuji went on with their modeling gigs, front cover worthy in every shoot, even if that wasn’t the intention of said shoot.

But that was the way things were. 

At Morgana’s urging, Akira went to  _ Untouchable _ to sell the medal, and the group went out for a classy meal somewhere that Ann chose. 

Ryuji looked longingly at the large meat spread at the buffet, but resigned himself to not overindulging. After all, he had to look out for Ann too, or else she’d try every piece on the dessert bar, and would be unrepentant about it until Mr. Maki made them both do extra exercises for two weeks.

Akira eyed Shiho worriedly during the meal, watching how she simply picked at her food. She didn’t seem that invested in eating, and only half listened to whatever conversation was going on. When she noticed Akira staring and caught his eye, she tried for a small smile, one that Akira returned. 

“You okay?” he asked, causing Ann to abruptly lose interest in the raspberry cheesecake she’s been devouring in front of her. She turned her attention to Shiho as she laid her utensils down.

“I’m… okay,” she said, leaning back in her seat and folding her hands in her lap. The smile tinged on her face looked much more genuine than had been witnessed in a long while. “I was just thinking… If Akira hadn’t been there that first day, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now with all of you. I’d… lost all hope. Things were so bad, and I didn’t want to go on. But then Akira was there, and… He saved me.  _ He gave me that hope back _ .” Shiho grew quiet for a few moments, and no one else broke the silence. She chewed on her bottom lip while thinking. “I want to do that too. I want to be able… to give others hope. To save other people like you saved me.”

Shiho looked up finally and met Akira’s eyes. They were filled with a strong determination, a fighter’s spirit that she’d completely embodied while in the Palace. Akira had the urge to reach across the table and brush hair out of her face, but their table was too large for that, and would have made it awkward. Especially in a public place, with her two best friends.

Ryuji nodded along to Shiho’s words. “It felt good,” he said. “Helpin’ people. I’d feel like a shitty person if I knew that I could help them and didn’t.”

“If everyone agrees, I would also be willing to partake in more of this Phantom Thief business,” Akira said.

Everyone turned their attention to Ann, Morgan eagerly moving his tail as he looked at her expectantly. Ann looked at each of those surrounding her and finally sighed dramatically. “Fine!” she exclaimed. “Just because I don’t want to be left out and  _ someone _ has to keep you dorks out of trouble.”

Shiho snorted, though she tried to hide it behind her hand. “Pft, you get into just as much trouble as Ryuji,” she teased. 

Ryuji also grinned teasingly at Ann. “Who was it that got Aki here to be our tutor so you could spy on him?”

Ann blushed furiously. “Shut up, Ryuji!”

Morgana put his front paws on the table with a proud purr. “That settles it!” he proclaimed. “We’re now an official organization! We just need to come up with a name.”

“I really liked Phantom Thieves of Hearts,” Shiho said, pouting at the thought of changing. 

“What if we just shortened it to The Phantoms?” Ryuji suggested.

Ann’s eyes sparkled. “Ooo, how about something classy? Like The Diamonds!”

“Or we could go with something commemorative, like Tilefish Pole,” Morgana said. Everyone gave Morgana a stare that said  _ Really? _

Shiho lightly kicked Akira under the table to get his attention. “What do you think?”

Akira scratched his cheek. “I’m really not good at this…” The tips of his ears were tinted pink. “But I did kinda like The Diamonds… They’re elegant and unbreakable…”

The comment got a laugh out of everyone from how awkward Akira was acting, and some teasing from Ryuji and Shiho about Akira’s choice. Conversation continued on, eventually moving past what to call their new team and onto who should be their leader. It came as no surprise to everyone but Akira that the general consensus was that it should be him.

“I think we need some ground rules too,” Ann said.

“Whatcha thinking?” Ryuji asked.

Ann tapped her chin, looking thoughtful. “Like… we all have to agree on a target. A unanimous decision.”

Morgana purred in approval. “That’s smart, Lady Ann!”

“It’ll probably help fights from breaking out, too,” Shiho agreed.

“Hey, if we’re doing this all sneaky like, we should probably have a hideout, right?” Ryuji said, feeling pumped.

Shiho and Akira shared a look. “Shiho and I meet up on the rooftop,” Akira said after Shiho nodded. “Why not there…?”

“No one else goes up there, so it’s perfectly accessible,” Morgana said. “The perfectly place to have secret thieves meetings!”

“And because it’s at school, there’s no way we’d be hounded on the street,” Ann said.

“So we’re in agreement,” Morgana purred.

A soft ring chimed, alerting them that their hour at the buffet was up. They all stood. “So I guess now we just live normally while looking for our new target,” Shiho said.

In another universe, due to Ryuji and Ann not being held back by their strict diets, Ryuji consumed too much food, leading him and Akira to meeting a powerful man that caused Akira to go through a severe shock. During this meeting, Ann also had a run in with a woman who looked down on her and belittled her, blaming her for things she had not done.

However, neither of these things happened. Because in this universe, Ann and Ryuji were both well known despite their young age due to being models. The courtesy extended to Akira and Shiho, who were with them the entirety of the visit. Had either Ann or Ryuji been left alone, they surely would have been approached by any numerous of the adults present who would want to exploit them or ride on the coattails of their fame. So it was a blessed fortune that Akira and Shiho were there.

In the days following their celebration, it seemed the four were pulled in constant busying directions. 

Ann was quickly being put toe to toe with rising model, Mika-chan. The two did not get along well at all, especially with how the other girl liked to hang off of Ryuji when he was present. To Ann, even Akira was more tolerable. But regardless of her thoughts on Mika-chan, Ann had to up her game unless she wanted to be overtaken as a top model, thus she began to take on more and more solo shoots, at times even having two or three a day. On days she didn’t model, she was entirely focused on a strict training regimen to help keep her body in shape.

Ryuji wasn’t entirely sure what Shiho was getting up to, she was being so tight lipped about it, but she was always busy. She never seemed free anymore unless they were discussing Phantom Thieves stuff.

Akira had finally gotten settled into his new home, and was allowed out at night. With his newfound freedom, he decided to pick up a job… or two… or three… They were all fairly simple, and none that would require him to work too many hours and loose study time, all fairly an on demand basis. 

That left Ryuji lacking in every department. There wasn’t any shortage of job openings for him, magazine photoshoots and even full TV interviews commonplace. Mr. Maki had even talked about getting Ryuji onto the runway, or trying to break into the acting circle if he wanted. He certainly had the face and charisma for it, unlike Ann who’s acting fell flat even when only telling a small white lie.

But he was… bored. Sure, while he  _ had _ the jobs lined up, they weren’t scheduled for a while. And with all of his friends busy, well, nothing really felt like any fun. 

He mindlessly scrolled through his phone in the living room, the TV playing some crime show as background noise, while lounging on the floor. The couch was probably the ideal place to sit or lay down, but with the cushions at the coffee table and plush carpet on the ground, he was comfortable enough to have no energy to move.

Ryuji’s mother came into the living room, humming while she fixed a few strands of hair in the mirror by the door. She leaned down to kiss Ryuji’s forehead before brushing pink strands of hair out of his face. 

“I’ll see you later, baby,” she said. “Enjoy your day off, okay?”

Ryuji made a noncommittal noise of agreement and watched as she left the house. With all the money Ryuji was bringing it, it was enough for them to have a modest house. Three bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms. There was a large backyard and a large garden on the side of the house. It was spacious inside, too. A serious upgrade from their days in that one bedroom hellhole he’d grown up in with that shitty old man of his.

The house would have definitely felt too big if it was only the two of them, but a long time ago Ann had basically moved in with them, staying with them more than in her much bigger, much emptier place by herself. Her personality and temperament were much better for it, being happier because she wasn’t so lonely and more willing to accommodate people who needed to share the space.

There had been a time when people mistook Ann and Ryuji as siblings due to their playful banter and and how casually close they were. But the idea of Ann being his sister put a nasty taste in Ryuji’s mouth. The rise of bile in his throat and a tight clench around his heart. 

Ryuji had always known Ann was pretty, because this was just a universal fact. But there was sometime between the end of their first year and battling Kamoshida’s Shadow that  _ pretty _ had turned to  _ beautiful _ , and Ryuji had realized that he liked Ann as more than a friend. 

Ann would never accept his feelings, though, because to her, he  _ was _ only a friend. Someone she could rely on to protect her from the creeps who liked to lust after her and shoot her derogatory comments, someone she could easily joke and laugh about love letters from people they didn’t know. But if Ryuji was the one writing a love letter, on the other side of the confession? Wouldn’t he just be the same as the others?

Ryuji sat up long enough to turn off the TV, growing too irritated to listen to actors talk about things he couldn’t wrap his mind around. His phone rang with a familiar ringtone and he picked it up, holding it between his ear and shoulder as he moved to sit in a more comfortable position for the likely long phone call.

“Yo, what’s up?”

What came from the other side was a long, pathetic sounding whine. “Ryuji, I’m dying,” Ann complained. “They have double chocolate crepes across the street and I can’t get any…. I already spent my cheat day… You should come get some and eat them for me!”

Ryuji rolled his eyes with a snort. “No way, man!” he exclaimed. “I’m not spending my cheat day yet. I’ve got something special planned for my Ma.”

Ann whined again but conceded. “Fiiiine,” she said, though there was no heart in it. “Anyway! I called for something else! I’m on my way to the underground mall. We should meet up! I’m all done with my shoots today, but I don’t really wanna go home yet…”

Ryuji looked over at the clock for a moment and hummed. “Gimme ten minutes and I’ll be right there.”

“You know where to find me!” Ann said, tone chipper. “I’ll even give you fifteen to account for train delays! Don’t be late!”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Ryuji said before cancelling the call and getting ready to leave, all thoughts of confusing feelings and boredom fading away to the back of his mind.

From his place behind the counter at 777, Akira watched as Ann headed to the subway station. Out of all of his teammates, Ann was the one who felt the farthest out of reach. True, the only ones he’d started trying to cultivate a relationship with were Shiho and Morgana (along with Sojiro, Mr. Iwai, Dr. Takemi, and Mr. Yoshida), and those two were extremely easy to get along with.

Except when Morgana told him to go to sleep. Akira was against animal abuse, but sometimes that cat made him want to rethink some of his choices… Was it animal abuse if he insisted he was human?

Akira forced those thoughts out of his head, because there was no way he’d ever actually intentionally hurt Morgana, annoying or not. 

It was a slow day at the convenience store, and the pink jacket he had to wear itched against his neck and wrists, the fabric there irritatingly thick. But if his co-workers could endure it, then so could he.

It was starting to grow dark outside and Akira’s shift was just about over when Shiho passed by in front of the front windows. She waved until she caught Akira’s attention, then waved harder when he grinned at her. She wordlessly pointed to a place down the street, and Akira nodded. By now, he knew where to find Shiho, and it was obvious that she wanted to talk to him.

Shiho nodded resolutely and left Akira to finish his shift. He did so with a much larger pep in his step than he’d started. As soon as he was handed his check and had hung up his jacket, Akira zoomed out of the store. 

Shiho usually hung out in front of the movie rental store on the weekends, and had been their meetup point on days off long before Ryuji and Ann had joined them. It had been the first place she’d taken Akira when they were first becoming friends, along with the cinema. So it was easy to spot her as soon as he neared the store. 

The outfit she wore was something new that he hadn’t seen before. A dark pink, pleated skirt fell to her knees, though it was bunched up in places and covered them with her knees pulled to her chest. It was paired with a long sleeved pale purple blouse with a high collar, folded over to hold in place the long blue ribbon tied around her neck. Pleats to match the skirt folded over her front, and a navy blue ribbon matching the one around her neck held her hair up. She was was very pretty.

But unlike how she’d been acting earlier, Shiho’s expression was dour. She sat on the ground, elbows on her knees and chin in her palms. She stared blankly out into the distance until she noticed Akira had appeared. Then she grinned and got to her feet, brushing off her skirt. 

“Can we talk for a bit?” she asked, and Akira nodded. She let out a relieved breath. “Okay… Uh… Maybe we can go to the park? I just wanna… I don’t wanna talk around other people.”

Akira nodded and followed her over to the park. Shiho sat at the water’s edge and pulled off her shoes and socks, putting her feet into the water. Akira joined her quietly. 

For a long while, that was all they did. Sit there in quiet silence, with only the lull of the water and distance chirp of birds between them. 

Finally, Shiho spoke up. “I’ve been trying to find something else to do,” she explained. “Something that’s distinctly  _ me. _ I… For so long, volleyball has been such a big part of my life. But… But it feels like I  _ can’t _ do it anymore. Kamoshida tainted it with too many painful memories…” Shiho looked down to the side, biting her lip. “He used to tell me that volleyball was the only thing I was good for, so why should I bother with anything else…? I cut out friends, family, other interests… until the only thing I  _ had left _ was volleyball. But I don’t even have that anymore… I don’t know who I am anymore.”

“You’re my friend,” Akira stated, and Shiho grinned. 

“I’m glad of that, at least,” she said, sitting up straighter and stretching her back “But really… what I want is to find who I am. I want to find something that I enjoy doing. But I think I’d be too scared to do it on my own… Will you help me? Go with me to do stuff?”

Akira nodded. “Of course.”

Shiho grinned, something that lit up her entire face. Akira couldn’t help but think back to when they’d met that first time on the school rooftop, where she thought to jump. 

“You’re so cool, Akira-kun,” she said, sighing softly. “I… I want to be able to  _ do _ something… but I don’t know what. Do you… What do you think I should do? I haven’t really thought about doing anything new since middle school. I don’t know where to start.”

Akira tilted his head thoughtfully. “…Music?”

Shiho’s eyes lit up and she tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. “Oh, like pick up an instrument? I’m not a really good singer, but maybe I have talents in other places…” Shiho shook her head before looking back at Akira. “I’ll take your suggestion into consideration. Oh, but it’s getting late! We should probably be getting home, shouldn’t we? Walk me to the station?”

“Sure.”

The two stood and headed for the station before parting ways.

Spending time with Shiho always lit up Akira’s day. They tried many different things, like going to a music store and spending hours browsing different albums and even trying out different instruments on display. Akira, ever the natural talent, wowed her by quickly learning notes from a music book and playing a few on a guitar. They didn’t end up going home with any instrument, but did part ways with a couple CDs between them and had a fun day.

Then Shiho found an advertisement for an art class, and they finally found something that Akira was not a natural at. He was much better at modeling, doing funny poses that had the class laughing by the end of it. The painting that Shiho did during the class got hung up in Leblanc above one of the booths, looking like it belonged there.

They ended up spending an afternoon at an internet café too. For a little extra, you could use one of their computers, some specifically for gaming. For not being very interested in gaming, Shiho was very good at it, and even beat Akira most rounds. Only Mishima, who happened upon them by chance, had stood a chance at beating her, and even then narrowly lost. 

After tiring out their time on the computers, the three sat together at a table with hot drinks. 

Shiho sighed, slumping against her hand. “I don’t really know what to do now…” she said. “I don’t have any ideas…”

Mishima shuffled nervously in his seat, tapping his fingers on his cup. “Um, maybe you’re trying to hard to distance yourself from sports,” he suggested. “Um, you’ve always seemed like the kind of person that liked physical activity- Oh, uh, not like that! I shouldn’t have brought it up! I didn't mean it like that! I’m so sorry, Suzui!”

Shiho’s expression darkened into a more somber look, gazing distractedly in the distance. She hadn’t even been thinking of that, doing well to push it out of her mind, until Mishima directly mentioned the incident. 

“…It’s fine,” Shiho said, voice tired. “You were saying? Something about sports?”

Mishima looked away guiltily. “Um, I was just going to say… you’re pretty close to Sakamoto, right? You could try to… I don’t know… He does sporty stuff, right? He does track training even if he’s not on a team… It’s, uh, not volleyball, but it would get your blood pumping…”

Shiho nodded, considering it. After sharing a look with Akira, it was clear he agreed with Mishima. 

It took a few moments, but Mishima spoke up again. “Hey, Suzui…?”

“Yes?” Shiho said, turning her attention to him. 

Mishima flinched and twitched under her attention. “I… I just… I wanted to say I’m sorry…” he said, voice going so quiet it was almost inaudible. “I… It was my fault you… that you ended up like that…”

“What could you have done, Mishima?” Shiho said, casting her gaze at the table.

“I should have done  _ something, anything,” _ he insisted, clenching his drink harder. “It would have been better than  _ nothing…!” _

“You did what you did because you were trying to protect yourself,” Shiho said. “I understand…”

Mishima shook his head harshly. “No! That’s what I’m saying! I acted selfishly and you got hurt because of it!”

There was no denying that it had been Mishiam that had delivered Kamoshida’s message… but that didn’t mean he was really the one at fault. “The one to blame is Kamoshida,” Akira said.

Shiho nodded along to his words. “It’s… yeah,” she said, pulling in a deep breath. “I’ve… been learning that too. Kamoshida… he’s the one who did those selfish, cruel acts. He hurt us, both of us and all the others, until we were helpless to do anything. Even if it was a situation we should have been able to do something in… because of him, we were helpless.”

Mishima nodded slowly as Shiho talked. Finally, Shiho managed to look up and turn her attention on Mishima. 

“I’ve been seeing a therapist about… about what happened,” she said. “She… She constantly tells me something, and I think you should hear it. ‘It’s okay to do the wrong thing, to mess up, to lose yourself. It’s okay to be the wrong person at the wrong time. As long as you can admit it and work towards making yourself better.’ It takes time and effort to change, but… you’re different now, Mishima. You’re… far from the same person you were back then at the beginning of the year. The you that you are now would not have allowed such a thing to happen. And… it’s okay. It wasn’t your fault I was in that situation. But to ease your mind… I forgive you.”

There wasn’t really more to say, and Mishima left soon after. Shiho and Akira continued to sit, quiet for a few moments. 

Shiho smiled softly. “Seeing the way he’s changed gives me a little hope that I can heal too,” she said. “We all had to deal with Kamoshida’s abuse, but Mishima always seemed to be getting the brunt of it. I’m glad he’s grown past it as much as he has.”

“You’ve grown too,” Akira said. Shiho’s smile was dazzling. 

“Thank you,” she said, tears gathering in her eyes. “I’ve… I’m really glad you’re my friend, Akira.”

Shiho’s search for her passion was brought to an abrupt halt by the appearance of Yusuke Kitagawa. 

In another universe, he followed after Ann, blinded by her astounding beauty. It was through Ann that they managed to get into his sensei’s museum, and aided by that, he joined their band of merry thieves.

Though in this universe, Ann was no less beautiful, the beauty was overlooked when standing next to Ryuji and Akira, both owning incredible, eye catching beauty of their own. Among this group of lovely wonders, it was Shiho, supposedly plain in looks and neither as tall or outgoing as the others, was the one who stood out.

No matter how well the others knew Shiho, it was Ann who knew her best. Out of everyone who entered and left her life, on some level, it would always be Ann who knew something was going on before anyone else.

Ann had attached herself to Shiho, holding onto her with an emotional grip too tight to let go, long before becoming friends with Ryuji. Once Shiho had shown Ann that first kindness, repeating that kindness over and over again… Ann had held onto Shiho’s support and friendship, learning the supplest of Shiho’s tells. And despite how Shiho had done her best to hide her feelings during the Kamoshida incident, those tells were still present and readable.

“Something’s wrong,” Ann said, mere moments after the group met on the train station before school. 

Shiho looked at Ann guiltily, as if she’d done something wrong by letting her worry show. “I… no, it’s nothing.”

Ann put her hand on her hip and lifted an eyebrow, obviously not believing her in the slightest. “It’s not nothing if it’s bothering you,” she stated. “C’mon, tell me what’s going on.”

Shiho shifted nervously on her feet. “Um, I keep feeling like I’m being watched…” she said, voice going quiet. Her face went pale and sweat began to gather at her hairline. “I… I thought I saw someone following me too…”

Moments later, Akira and Ryuji had disappeared into the crowd while Ann stuck right next to Shiho, hands clasped tightly together. Shiho’s hand was warm, if clammy, and Ann couldn’t help but feel some self satisfaction that she could being doing this for Shiho while Akira couldn’t. 

The two had almost made it completely away from the train station when a hand reached for Shiho out of Ann’s peripheral vision. With the quick reflexes learned as Panther, Ann struck out and slapped the arm away, turning in a quick movement to face the strange and stand between them and Shiho.

Shiho clung onto the back of Ann’s blazer, shaking. “That’s him,” she whispered. Ann squeezed her hand reassuringly as Akira and Ryuji made their entrance, standing on either side of Ann as an extra barrier. 

The young man they were facing off against was rather lovely in appearance, tall and delicate, skin pale and eyes heavily lidded from sleepless nights. 

He ignored everyone but Shiho, eyes trained solely on her. “Pardon me, my name is Yusuke Kitagawa,” he said with a short bow. “I would like you to be my muse.”

In order to find information out about Madarame, Shiho willing went to meet Yusuke to model. It was Ryuji who was the most vocal about not allowing her to go alone. 

He felt justified in it, too, once things had started to go downhill when Yusuke threatened to call the police on Ryuji, Akira, and Ann for trespassing… and offering a bargain of Shiho modeling nude to stop him from doing it.

As soon as the words left Yusuke’s mouth, Shiho’s face went entirely pale and she fell to her knees. Ann let out a shout and knelt down to support her, but Shiho was shaking so fiercely that it was visible from across the room, barely contained sobs kept beneath her hands.

“You bastard!” Ryuji shouted, grabbing Yusuke’s collar and slamming him against the wall. Many times, his pink hair would diminish any ferocity in his expression, but with the setting sun casting a red glow on him, Ryuji looked downright demonic. “You effin’ bastard! Trying to use blackmail… that’s worse than the shit your stupid sensei is doin’!”

Yusuke’s expression turned steely. “How dare you-!”

Ryuji cut him off by slamming him against the wall again, this time so hard that even the table with at supplies shook, knocking several glass jars of paint onto the ground, shattering them. “That’s sexual harassment! After all the shit she’s been through, and now you dare to-!”

Akira had to pull Ryuji away and physically put himself between the two boys before Ryuji ended up actually injuring Yusuke. That would have landed Akira in prison, though with Ryuji and Ann’s statuses, they would be lucky to get off with just a warning.

Still, Akira’s silent glare was enough to put Yusuke on edge. He stood tensed against the wall, phone still gripped tightly in hand but making no move to unlock the screen and make the threatened call. 

“We’ll leave,” Ryuji snapped. “But don’t expect us to effin’ try ‘n help again!”

Shiho huddled against Ann, barely able to stand without the support, as Akira led the way out of the shack and Ryuji followed in the back. Morgana met them outside, glaring harshly at Ryuji. 

“Well, that blew up spectacularly,” he hissed. “What are we supposed to do about the palace now?”

“What was I supposed to do!?” Ryuji snapped. “Just stand by and watch as  _ he treated one of my best friends like that!?” _

Ann’s expression was cold as she hugged Shiho, rubbing her arm as she got her breathing under control. “I think Ryuji did the right thing,” she said. “Shiho had to deal with enough from Kamoshida. Making statements like that… I wouldn’t be surprised if  _ he _ had a Palace. At least a Shadow in Mementos.”

In another universe, perhaps while there had been risky moves involved, it was much easier to get past the painted door in the Palace. In this universe, there was no easy or peaceful alternative to getting into the shack again. 

And that was where the group turned their attention to Akira. As the biggest brain of the team, not to mention team leader, it was up to him to come up with the plans. 

Ann hadn’t wanted to go along with it on principal of still disliking Akira for reasons they had admittedly long gotten past (at this point she was really just  _ looking _ for reasons to hate him, and the best she could come up with was that he was effortless in practically everything he tried). But in the end, it had worked out. 

Ann, with Morgana sneakily following her, went back to the shack. If Yusuke answered the door, she would force her way into the house. If Madarame answered the door, everything would hinge on her acting abilities to let her in to talk to Yusuke.

Her entire job was to let loose on Yusuke. Seeing as she was still pissed about the way he’d talked to Shiho, it was easy to yell at him and start a quickly growing argument that she led through the shack until Morgana had finished picking the lock on the door. 

Their fight had, by that point, gotten Madarame’s attention and made things worse by seeing what was inside the door. Ann was gone, Morgana scooped up in her arms, long before Madarame had even picked up the phone to call the police. 

Yusuke’s joining of the Phantom Thieves is usually rather peaceful, aside from the bloody awakening and fight against Madarame’s Shadow. But in this universe, after he accidentally followed Ann into the Palace, Shiho was there too, and shied away from him constantly, hiding behind whichever of the others was closer.

It was an act that persisted in both the real world and Metaverse, even when the others began to warm up to him after Madarame was defeated, even the entire mess that was the fiasco with Kaneshiro and Makoto. 

After going through Kaneshiro’s Palace, Akira was actually really sick of seeing money. Dealing with it, using it, working with it. But working as a cashier in more than one shop put him in the position of having to do so constantly.

Luckily, his shift ended quickly. And Akira was pleased to see Shiho outside the window again, though this time she was joined by Ryuji. His hair was pushed back and he wasn’t wearing any of the designer cloths his manager usually put him in on the weekend, instead a plain set of gym clothes. Shiho wore a set, too, looking much more relaxed than she did in her uniform or phantom thief costume. 

Akira joined them outside soon after, the bag draped over his shoulder carrying his regular clothes, having also changed into workout gear. Shiho talked excitedly to him as they headed for the park, Ryuji drawing back a little bit from the other two and just watching them.

He was ecstatic that Shiho had asked to train with him, even when she’d asked about Akira coming along, but still, their outing made him think. 

Over the last few months, it had been hard to settle on an opinion of Akira. Ann seemed determined to  _ not _ like him, but Ryuji could tell she was warming up to him. There were times that the two hung out alone without any of the others, going out for crepes or watching cheesy rom coms that Ryuji couldn’t bring himself to digest (he wasn’t a pretty crier, okay? He liked watching those alone so no one would see him do it).

It wasn’t like Akira hadn’t hung out with Ryuji alone either, though. They did a lot, lately probably more than anyone else. But hanging out with Akira was… different, from hanging out with the girls. 

He’d known Ann and Shiho since middle school, had had literal years to learn their likes and dislikes and learn how to move in sync with them to the point there were no accidental touches or crossed wires. Ryuji had been friends with them before he had a crush, and knew how to tell that it was one sided.

But Akira…? Ryuji had only known him for a few months. The first time he’d seen Akira, he’d thought he was beautiful. And after that first meeting, the adjectives kept growing. Mysterious. Handsome. Sexy. Amazing. Wonderful. Serious. Dorky. Ryuji didn’t know where the line of wanting Akira’s friendship ended and wanting to date him began.

The only reason he knew he had no hope was because he saw how Akira’s eyes lingered on Shiho… She had him mesmerized. Just like Ryuji’s starry eyes, except they were trained on Shiho.

Ryuji pushed his musings out of his head when the other two turned to include him in their conversation, smiling widely and jumping into it excitedly. They reached the park shortly later and Ryuji set out markers and goals for them to try to reach throughout their session.

By the end of it, Akira had faceplanted on the ground from the rigorous training and Shiho was doubled over, panting heavily. “I… I always… always hated running,” she said with a grimace, closing her eyes. “Ugh… I don’t think track’s for me…”

“What about another sport?” Ryuji asked, taking a drink from his water bottle. Afterwards he offered it to Shiho, but she shook her head. When it was offered to Akira, it was taken. 

Shiho stood with a sigh. “I don’t think so,” she said. “I’ve… well, I’m not really good at other sports. That’s… That’s not just Kamoshida talking either. I liked baseball and soccer, but I could never hold the bat right, always fumbling and dropping it, and my footwork was too bad for soccer. I was okay at basketball, but I wasn't really interested in it… I can’t swim either, so that’s out.”

Ryuji furrowed his brows in puzzlement as he took his waterbottle back from Akira. “Yeah, that’s no good…” he said. “What if you tried somethin’ with Ann? I mean, you two have gotta have something more in common than being great people and a terrible meeting story.”

Shiho grinned at the memory, but seemed to seriously consider Ryuji’s words. “Hmm, I’ll think about it,” she said. 

Despite the rigorous training session, and that they all went home sore, all were happy about the day’s events. 

Only a couple days later, Shiho and Akira stood to the side of a photo shoot Ann was in. Ann joined them after a few moments. 

“Here, go put these on,” Ann said, holding out a pile of clothes to Shiho. “The director said that if the other model didn’t show up, you could step in, and we’re already ten minutes late getting started, so I don’t think she’s going to show.”

Shiho took the clothes and disappeared for a few minutes while changing. She stepped out again, looking embarrassed by the ensemble. A deep purple shirt with off the shoulder sleeves and small straps actually keeping it up on her shoulders was paired with black jeans. Shiho’s hair was down, one side pinned with with a pretty flower clip that matched the choker around her neck. 

Akira’s mouth went dry, eyes bulging. Ann smirked in pride and put a hand on her hip. Shiho shuffled nervously from foot to foot under their stares. 

“So, uh, um, how do I… how do I look?” she asked. 

“You look… uh, that’s to say… um…” Akira tried to formulate words, but even with all the languages he knew, all the words he could have used, he couldn’t seem to find any that were fitting.

“What he’s trying to say is you look great,” Ann promised. “C’mon, let’s get you finished for the shoot.”

Even within the first few minutes of shooting, it was obvious that Shiho was not cut out for that kind of work. She was so awkward and stiff, she was asked to leave the scene after only five minutes. 

But once she’d gotten her hands on a camera… She pointed out that one of the cameramen was only getting shots from one level, and considering the height difference to Ann, it wasn’t even the best angle. As adults get when a child claims to know more than them, he dared Shiho to take a better shot. And she wasn’t one to turn down a challenge.

While some of the photos turned out blurry due to her inexperience, the pictures Shiho took were all relatively well taken. By the end of the shoot, Shiho seemed happier than she had with all their other activities combined. 

Still, she looked mournful when they left. 

Akira slowed to a stop and Shiho followed his lead. “Are you okay?”

Shiho nodded. “Mmm hmm. I’m alright.”

She tilted her face up and him and smiled brightly. “I think I’m just tired. It was fun today, wasn’t it?” She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, trying to rub the ache in it away. “I’ll see you next time, okay?”

Akira watched her leave and returned home to Leblanc. It was late, and had Morgana been awake, he would have berated Akira for his tossing and turning. But it was his late night alertness that allowed him to catch Shiho’s message when she texted. 

[Shiho] Are you awake?

[Akira] No.

[Shiho] Haha, liar.

[Shiho] Anyway, um, I’ve been thinking for a while.

[Shiho] Can we meet up tomorrow?

[Shiho] I just want to relax with you.

[Shiho] Maybe at the park?

[Akira] Sounds good.

[Shiho] Great!!

[Shiho] I’ll meet you there! 

[Shiho] Um, goodnight, Akira.

When no new messages came through, Akira powered down his phone and rolled over. With plans to hang out with Shiho the next day, he needed a good amount of sleep.

They met up at the station by chance the next day. Though the plan had been to meet at the park, the quiet few moments they had never went to waste. They entered the park, wandering a little bit before finally sitting on a fence, the pond at their backs. 

It was quiet for a few moments, none of the topics they’d been on touching the subject Shiho was obviously trying to psych herself up for. Akira waited patiently for her to continue. 

Eventually, Shiho spoke up. “I… I think I’m burning out,” she said, giving a halfhearted, sarcastic laugh. “I… You told me this might happen, but I didn’t listen. Kinda dumb of me, huh? Trying to do too much and yet I wanted to do more.” She hung her heart with a weary sigh, closing her eyes. “I’ve found so many fun things to do, too. Things I’d enjoy doing again and again and again… but none of them mean as much to me as volleyball. And none of them…”

She choked up, the words getting caught in her throat. Akira reached over and grabbed her hand in order to comfort her. Shiho squeezed it as she took a deep breath. 

“I genuine  _ liked, _ no, that’s not right. I  _ do _ like volleyball. I love playing it, I love the thrill when we do a successful play, when we win a game. But that  _ bastard _ …” Shiho squeezed Akira’s hand tighter as tears streamed out of her eyes. “He took  _ everything _ . He ruined something I loved so much, and then he still wasn’t satisfied and ruined  _ me _ .”

Shiho brushed tears away, trying to hide her tear stained face from Akira. Akira merely reached over and brushed the still falling tears away himself. “You’re not ruined,” he whispered.

Shiho looked at him before shaking her head with a shaky chuckle. “After everything he did to me, how can you say that?” she said. “Why do you even put up with someone like me?”

“I like you.”

“This really isn’t the time for double meanings, Akira…”

Akira looked directly into her eyes. “I really like you,” he told her, completely serious. Shiho’s face went up in flames. 

“O-Oh…” Shiho kicked her feet nervously, unable to look at Akira. She sneakily took a peak at Akira, but when he had his entire focus on her, she let out a squeak and turned away again. “I, um, oh, uh. Well- Well, the truth is I- I like you too. But- But I always- You’re so amazing, you know? And I’m just… I’m  _ me _ and I guess… I’m already used goods, you know? Tainted. I never thought that… someone like you would… I’m kinda worthless and pathetic, aren’t I?”

Akira took Shiho’s cheeks in his hands and turned her towards him. “You’re wrong,” he declared. “You’re amazing, wonderful. You have a kind heart and amazing sense of humor. You’re so strong to continue to live and survive through what you were put through, carrying the burden of it by yourself for so long. You’re talented and smart, and  _ I don’t care _ what he did to you. It wasn’t your choice. And if it had been your choice to consensually do those things with someone else,  _ I still wouldn’t care. _ Because I like you. And if you like me too and genuinely want to be with me, then that’s all I want.”

Shiho let out a watery laugh. “I’ve never heard you speak so much before,” she said. “Oh my god, I can’t believe…”

Akira put his forehead against Shiho’s. “You deserve the world, if you’ll let me give it to you.”

Shiho’s words caught in her throat. “I…” She swallow thickly before placing her hands over Akira’s and smiling serenely at him. “Okay.”

Akira hugged her tightly, and Shiho returned it, both feeling high on adrenaline and giddy. He was her  _ boyfriend, _ she was his  _ girlfriend. _ How weird was  _ that? _

Suddenly, Shiho gasped and smacked his arm. “You’re so terrible!” she exclaimed. “I asked you out here to tell you about my future plans going forward!”

“Not to ask me out?”

Shiho whined and lightly smacked him again, earning a laugh from Akira. When their laughter subsided, Shiho finally managed to tell Akira what had been on her mind. 

Then Alibaba contacted them.


End file.
